"we were very disappointed in our room. Our "resort view" was a patch of dirt. When I asked of a different room I was told there were none available, despite have booked months in advance. The room itself, while nice and comfortable, had multiple maintenance issues - a lamp where the electric cord literally fell out, the bathroom sink was missing a diffuser causing water to splash all over us when turned on, a shower that would drip after turning it off, and a hair dryer that would not stay on.
Beyond the room, which most of the staff were delightful, we were frustrated when we went down to the beach late on a beautiful afternoon only to have the cushions on our chairs literally taken at 6:00. The next day when we went back we found we needed to pay 50 Euros for the chairs we sat in, something not mentioned in the literature or when we checked in.
We had stayed previously at the Epic Sana Lisboa hotel in Lisbon, and were delighted at every turn by how attentive and caring the staff were, and how well maintained the property was. So we had high expectations about the "5-Star" Epic Sana Algarve. Not to be. I think they rely on location and setting than actually providing 5-star service. That's too bad, because it is a beautiful place."